Great Family Values Featured Stories

Does his/her cough sound more like a dog barking? It might be croup. This sometimes scary respiratory infection is important to have on your radar. By: Dina Roth Port That sharp, barky cough is a telltale sign that your kid has croup. Most of the time, this cold-like affliction will pass quickly, but not always. Here’s what to know. Who Gets It Croup is a respiratory infection that causes inflammation in the windpipe and the area directly below the voice box. It typically strikes during fall and winter and is usually (but not always) mild, lasting three to seven days. While it’s most common in kids ages 3 months to 5 years (6 percent of kids under 6 catch it every year), anyone can get it—it’s not bothersome in older children and adults because as people grow and their windpipes become larger, they can accommodate the swelling from croup without showing symptoms. Symptoms “The area just below the voice box is the narrowest part of the airway in a child, so croup causes a very specific type of barking cough that usually gets worse at night,” says Dr. Shawn Ralston, chief of inpatient pediatrics at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and a […]

New Jersey Summer Camps – Whether your kids are aspiring chefs, horseback riding champions or just want an amazing summer—start with what they love and you’re guaranteed a great time. By: Murphy Moroney Whether your kids are aspiring chefs, horseback riding champions or just want an amazing summer—start with what they love and plan it out right, you’re guaranteed a great camp experience. We’ve rounded up the best academic camps, art camps, cooking camps, day camps, performing arts camps, horseback riding camps, gifted and talented camps, special needs camps, sports camps and more from around NJ. Academic Camps Camp College at Mercer County Community College 1200 Old Trenton Rd., West Windsor 609-570-3311; campcollege.mccc.edu Ages: 6–16 Cost: Starts at $995/wk. If her interests run the gamut from green energy to hip-hop, this month-long program will keep her busy. Kids can choose six topics to study from subjects like “Around the World” and “Dig It” (a workshop about dinosaurs). There’s also a session for mini- campers (6 years old), which offers age-appropriate activities on a more relaxed schedule. June 20–August 19 from 8:30 am–4 pm. Dwight-Englewood School Summer Connections 315 East Palisades Ave., Englewood 201-227-3144; d-e.org Ages: 3–17 Cost: Prices vary Get a jump start on […]

2015 Families – From rural hamlets to big bustling metropolises, we analyzed every town in the Garden State. Here are the spots that rose above the rest. By Vicky Valet | New Jersey Family The Essential Source for NJ Moms. What makes a town a great place to raise families? The answer is different for each of us, but we’re betting your list includes a lot of the qualities on our checklist, like top-notch public schools, safe streets and lots to do as families. To come up with our ranking, we looked at the entire state—more than 500 towns in all—and measured each municipality against a host of important factors, including school district quality, crime rates, affordability, commute times, percentage of families who live there, access to hospitals and general lifestyle factors. How did your town rank? Winner – Pennington Editor’s Pick – Large Town Editor’s Pick – Mid-Size Town Editor’s Pick – Small Town Highest Ranked – North Jersey Highest Ranked – Morris County Highest Ranked – Essex County Highest Ranked – Union County Editor’s Pick – Central Jersey Top NJ Transit Commuter Towns Full Ranked List of NJ Towns Methodology

20 Free Things to Do in NJ in March. Want to get the kids out of the house but don’t want to shell out a ton of money? We’ve got 20 awesome free suggestions. By Catherine Donaldson-Evans | New Jersey Family 1. Go on an Easter egg hunt The kids look forward to those annual Easter egg hunts all year, and when they’re totally free, they’re especially sweet for you. On March 19, iPlay America in Freehold will host its annual Sonny the Bunny’s Colossal Carrot Adventure, complete with a hunt for eggs filled with treats, photos and breakfast with the Easter Bunny and more fun.. Then on March 20, stop by Jenkinson’s Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach to search for eggs in front of Jenkinson’s Aquarium (ages 4 and under), in front of Frank’s Fun Center (ages 5 to 8) and in front of Jenkinson’s Amusement Park (ages 9 to 10). There are also various eggs hunts at different Wildwood beaches that won’t cost you a dime, including Elks Annual Easter Egg Hunt on the 19th Avenue beach and Greater Wildwood Jaycees Easter Egg Hunt at the Lincoln Avenue beach on March 26 and Ed’s Funcade Easter Sunday Egg Hunt […]

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From giant mazes to wall-to-wall trampolines, check out these great places for indoor play. By Murphy Moroney | New Jersey Family – The Essential Source for NJ Moms It may be too cold for the playground, but there are plenty of spots in NJ where kids can climb and slide all winter long. From giant mazes to wall-to-wall trampolines, check out these great places for indoor play. ​Bergen County Fun Force 551 Main Ave., Wallington 973-777-0767; funforcenj.com An afternoon spent racing around a roller rink, battling it out in laser tag and flying through the air in a bounce house is just what your restless brood needs. There’s also “Gaga Ball,” where players duke it out in an inflatable ring, plus plenty of arcade games. Fri: 4–11 pm, Sat: 1–11 pm, Sun: 1–7 pm. Fun Time Junction 400 Fairfield Rd., Fairfield 973-882-9777; funtimejunction.net Perfect for preschoolers, kids can climb around a huge jungle gym, get messy in a craft corner and take a spin on a ton of ride-on character vehicles. There’s also laser tag and plenty of carnival games for those a little older. Tues–Sun until 6 pm. The Big Playhouse 316 Kinderkamack Rd., Westwood 855-343-7529; thebigplayhouse.info This out-of-the-ordinary, tech-free playground for […]

Village Montessori Day School – Geography lessons may evolve from identifying and exploring locations in and parts of our earth by using the continent puzzle maps, then put them into art perspective by tracing, painting and coloring. Altogether, the child learns about his/her place in the world, enhances his/her own creativity and appreciates his/her work of art!

For months the residents of Flint, Michigan, were exposed to contaminated water — including as many as 8,000 children who could suffer from brain and nervous system damage for the rest of their lives, according to Vox. Devastating details about the crisis’ origin and the current reality of Flint citizens continue to emerge, but their future remains uncertain. One second-grader hopes to change that: Isiah Britt of Gainesville, Virginia, started a GoFundMe campaign to help Flint elementary school children affected by the crisis, the Washington Post reported Friday. After his parents explained the water crisis to him, 7-year-old Britt felt compelled to help, according to the Post. The family initially wanted to send bottled water to Flint children, presumably in response to the advice that all residents avoid tap water and highly publicized donations of bottled water by the likes of Cher, Mark Wahlberg, Eminem and the governor of Michigan. But when Britt and his parents called Eisenhower Elementary School in Flint, the school’s secretary told them they were actually in dire need of hand sanitizer because children wouldn’t wash their hands with contaminated water, according to the Washington Post. With the help of his parents, Britt determined he needed to raise $500 to donate a […]

Not totally sure what Snapchat is? Here’s a great overview and why parents should be paying attention. By: Diana Graber Co-founder, CyberWise.org: No Grownup Left Behind! and Founder, CyberCivics.com One morning my teenage daughter emerged from her bedroom to ask, “Can you believe what happened in Syria yesterday?” Surprised (and pretty sure she hadn’t secretly subscribed to the The New York Times), I got a bigger surprise when I learned where she’d picked up this news… “Snapchat.” Say what? If you’re like most parents, you’ve probably been duly warned about this app. Best known as a social networking platform where users share photo and video messages that disappear almost immediately after being viewed, Snapchat quickly gained something of a reputation, fair or not, as a “sexting” app when it first launched in 2011. Personally, I was advised just recently to “delete this dangerous app from my teen’s phone” (that’s a direct quote from an Internet “expert” in my region). So hearing from my daughter that she was using the app to keep abreast of news (not her primary usage of Snapchat to be sure), only confirmed what I’ve long been thinking. Snapchat is the app to watch. Here’s why: It’s […]